Northampton County Council voted Thursday not to reprimand Deputy Human Resources Director Lorraine Cordaro for failing to notify them that her husband, Thomas Cordaro, is the county's primary architect. The deadlocked 4-4 vote on a motion to reprimand came after a ruling by council solicitor Karl Longenbach that Lorraine Cordaro should have notified council of her husband's relationship with the county. The oversight was not serious enough to justify terminating Cordaro, who was hired in September 1999 and earns $50,768 a year; or canceling the county's contract with her husband, he said.

Michelle L. Griffin of Washington, D.C., has been hired as Lehigh County public affairs manager. A Lehigh Valley native and Parkland High School graduate, Griffin was a program director for federation development for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She worked with the federation of 3,000 state and local chambers and 1,200 associations. She held a number of public relations positions with the chamber during a 10-year tenure. Griffin is a graduate of Syracuse University. She will start as the county's public relations manager July 6. Griffin will replace Janice E. Nisbet, who was appointed in May as the county's human resources director.

Allentown Police Chief Gerald M. Monahan Jr. is one of three finalists f or chief of police operations in Port Orange, Fla. Last week, Evender G. Spradlin, human resources director for Port Orange, traveled to Allentown to meet with Monahan, his top commanders and officials with the Fraternal Order of Police Queen City Lodge #10. The two other finalists competing for the Port Orange job are from the West Coast. Police Chief David Purdy of Auburn, Wash., and David Leonardo, deputy chief of police of Modesto, Calif.

Penelope "Penny" Klucsarits, 58, of Whitehall Township, died Friday, March 26, at home. She was the wife of Frank J. Klucsarits. They were married for 39 years last May. She was director of human resources for the former Allentown Osteopathic Hospital, for 26 years until retiring in 1997. She also gave private piano lessons for eight years. Born in Coplay, she was a daughter of John and Jesse (Battenfield) Kosits of Coplay. She was a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church, Coplay.

Nancy Gasper Aaroe has joined the trend of defense lawyers turned prosecutors on Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli's staff. Aaroe, who has private practices with her husband, Paul, in Bethlehem Township and Belvidere, N.J., was sworn in to the position of part-time assistant district attorney this week by Judge Stephen G. Baratta. "It's time for a change," said Aaroe. "I'm really excited, and I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead." Aaroe has been involved in criminal defense work for eight years, serving as a public defender in Monroe County from 1990 to 1994, on Northampton County's conflicts council and as a private defense attorney.

Bucks County Commissioner Chairman Charles Martin again broke ranks with fellow Republican Commissioner Michael Fitzpatrick by declining his support for a temporary stipend for an information technology employee to carry a pager. Martin abstained from voting on the measure, which was approved with the affirmative votes of Fitzpatrick and Democratic Commissioner Sandra Miller. Last month, Martin voted against pay hikes for eight information technology employees, who nonetheless got the salary boosts because Fitzpatrick and Miller voted for them.

by FRED WALTER (A free-lance story for The Morning Call) | September 4, 1998

Dan Polanski can start his new job Sept. 21 as Northampton County's first human resources director. County Council on Thursday night unanimously confirmed the appointment made by County Executive Glenn Reibman with a salary of $60,850 a year. Polanski, 40, of Nazareth, has been a full-time assistant district attorney the past 14 years, helping to manage a 27-member staff. Council President Wayne Grube welcomed Polanski's expertise to run the new Department of Human Resources.

An East Penn administrator will become assistant superintendent in the Parkland School District in December. Parkland School Board hired Louise E. Donohue, 43, of Sellersville Tuesday, at a salary of $90,000. She will replace Lee Kreidler, who will retire in January after 22 years in the position. Donohue has been director of secondary education for the East Penn School District since 1993 and was principal of Emmaus Junior High School from 1987 to 1993. The vote for Donohue was unanimous with Robert Kirkland and Lynn Ritter absent.

A Quakertown company that manufactures business furniture and theater seats is being sold to a Massachusetts office furnishings maker. J.G. Furniture Systems, since the mid-1970s a division of textile giant Burlington Industries, Greensboro, N.C., will be acquired by the Apollo Group, based in Hingham, Mass. Details of the transaction should be finalized by the end of the month, according to Tim Graham, J.G. Furniture's human resources director. Graham said he didn't know financial details of the sale.